Release Detail

September 5, 2006 - Dem Leaders Barely Known To U.S. Voters,
Quinnipiac University National Poll Finds;
Slight Thaw In Feelings Toward President Bush

The woman and man who will lead the Democrats in Congress if they take control in
November are neither well thought of, nor widely known, to most Americans, according to a
Quinnipiac University national poll released today.

U.S. Rep. Nancy Pelosi is in line to become Speaker of the House - the first woman to
hold that position and the most powerful woman in the nation - if the Democrats win a majority
in November. Sen. Harry Reid would become Senate Majority Leader. But they rate the poorest
of 20 political figures - including several potential Democratic presidential candidates - in the
latest "thermometer reading" from the independent Quinnipiac (KWIN-uh-pe-ack) University
poll.

The survey, which asks voters to rate the warmth of their feelings for political leaders,
from 0 to 100, also found that Americans' feelings about President George W. Bush have become
warmer since the June 5 thermometer survey.

"Although most Americans don't know enough about Sen. Reid or Rep. Pelosi to rate
them, those who do generally do not feel warmly toward either Democratic leader," said Peter
Brown, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute. "But Tennessee
Republican Sen. Bill Frist, who is the Senate Majority Leader, doesn't do much better."

"The Democrats should be happy that unlike in many countries where a party leaders'
popularity influences legislative elections there is no history of that in the U.S."

"Among Democrats, Pelosi and Reid get thermometer ratings of 56.3 and 51.8 respectively
- and much lower among Republicans and independents," Brown added.

The mean scores for each politician with the percentage not knowing enough about the
individual to rate him or her:

"Sen. Joseph Lieberman, who lost the Democratic primary for reelection in Connecticut,
ranks higher on the thermometer than any of the Democratic 2008 hopefuls, including Sen.
Hillary Clinton," Brown said.

President Bush's 46.4 score compares to ratings of 44.1 in March and 42.9 in June.

Sen. Allen's numbers have dropped more than any other Republican candidate since
March, from 48.6 to 44.8, and he now gets the lowest score of any Republican Presidential
hopeful mentioned in the poll.

From August 17 - 23, Quinnipiac University surveyed 1,080 registered voters nationwide.
The survey has a margin of error of +/- 3 percentage points.

The Quinnipiac University Poll, directed by Douglas Schwartz, Ph.D., conducts public
opinion surveys in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Florida and nationwide as
a public service and for research.
For additional data -- www.quinnipiac.edu or call (203) 582-5201

2. I'd like to get your feelings toward some of our political leaders and other
people who have been in the news. I'll read the name of a person and I'd like
you to rate that person using something called the feeling thermometer. You can
choose any number between 0 and 100. The higher the number, the warmer or more
favorable you feel toward that person, the lower the number, the colder or less
favorable. If we come to a person who you haven't heard enough about to form an
opinion, you don't need to rate the person. Just tell me and we'll move on to
the next one.